theFOX
theFOX
"The English country gentleman galloping after a fox ...
The unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable."
The Modern English "fox" is derived from Old English with the same spelling, the Old English word itself comes from the Proto-Germanic word "fukh", compare German "Fuchs", Gothic "fauho", Old Norse "foa" and Dutch "vos", which corresponds to the Proto-Indo-European word "*puk" meaning "tail" (compare Sanskrit "puccha" meaning "tail" as well). The bushy tail is also the source of words for "fox" in Welsh ("llwynog", from "llwyn" meaning "bush") and "fox" in Lithuanian is "lape". In Irish there are two words, the standard "sionnach" but also "madra rua" meaning "red dog".
General characteristics
Most foxes live 2 to 3 years but can survive for up to 10 years, or even longer, in captivity. With most species roughly the size of a domestic cat, foxes are smaller than other members of the family Canidae such as wolves, jackals, and domestic dogs. Fox-like features typically include an acute muzzle (a "fox face") and bushy tail. Other physical characteristics vary according to their habitat. For example, the Desert Fox has large ears and short fur, whereas the Arctic Fox has small ears and thick, insulating fur. Another example is the Red Fox which has a typical auburn pelt ending normally with white marking.
Unlike many canids, foxes are usually not pack animals. Typically, they are solitary, opportunistic feeders that hunt live prey (especially rodents). Using a pouncing technique practiced from an early age, they are usually able to kill their prey quickly. Foxes also gather a wide variety of other foods ranging from grasshoppers to fruit and berries.
Foxes are normally extremely wary of humans and are not kept as pets, although the Silver Fox was successfully domesticated in Russia after a 45 year selective breeding program. However, they are readily found in cities and cultivated areas and (depending upon species of course) seem to adapt reasonably well to human presence.
A
HISTORY OF FOX HUNTING.
I
do not like Fox Hunting, but it has been part of rural life for
some time.
Using scenthounds to track prey dates back to Assyrian, Babylonian and ancient Egyptian times, and is known as venery. In England, hunting with hounds was popular before the Romans arrived, using the Agassaei breed. The Romans brought their Castorian and Fulpine hound breeds, along with importing the brown hare (the mountain hare is native) and additional species of deer as quarry. Wild boar was also hunted. The Norman hunting traditions were added when William the Conqueror arrived, along with the Gascon and Talbot hounds; indeed, the traditional hunting cry 'tally ho' derives from the Norman French equivalent of 'il est haut' (he is up); ie. the stag has started running. By 1340 the four beasts of venery were the hare, the hart, the wolf and the wild boar. The five beasts of the chase were the buck, the doe, the fox, the marten and the roe.
The earliest known attempt to hunt a fox with hounds was in Norfolk, England, in 1534, where farmers began chasing down foxes with their dogs as pest control. By the end of the seventeenth century many organised packs were hunting both hare and fox, and during the eighteenth century packs specifically for fox hunting were appearing. The passing of the Enclosure Acts from 1760 to 1840 had made hunting deer much more difficult in many areas of the country, as that requires great areas of open land. Also, the new fences made jumping the obstacles separating the fields part of the hunting tradition. With the onset of the Industrial Revolution, people began to move out of the country and into towns and cities to find work. Roads, rail and canals split the hunting country, but also made hunting accessible to more people. Shotguns were improved during the nineteenth century and game shooting became more popular. To protect the pheasants for the shooters, gamekeepers culled the foxes almost to extirpation in popular areas, which caused the huntsmen to improve their coverts. Finally the Game Laws were relaxed in 1831 and later abolished, which meant anyone could obtain a permit to take rabbits, hares and gamebirds.
I have a wonderful collection of John Leech, Victorian Anti-Hunt Drawings, if you would like to obtain framed prints, please write to me at Anvil Farm. Little Hallingbury. CM22 7RD.
Please Note .. I can only offer this service to members of Little Hallingbury Village History Society due to the many problems with people supplying 'at a profit' via eBay, items given freely in good faith for their own use in the past.
Comment Ebay and Paypal, please read, its very important.
Foxes are wonderful animals,parents and good for the countryside, please visit the folling websites.
Ebay Shop: Fox-Shop
